A Night On The Town
by Selene Sokal
Summary: It's not that Pyrrha dislikes Weiss, she just… doesn't particularly enjoy spending time with her. But after a messy breakup, it falls to her and Yang to try to cheer Weiss up by taking her out for a night of drinking and dancing.


She was supposed to be reading, doing her homework, using the habits she'd first forged at Sanctum to become the top of her class, but… Pyrrha had to admit, her attention was elsewhere.

She kept glancing up from her book to watch two boys, furiously trash talking and mashing buttons. They were playing some kind of fighting game, and both were absolutely driven to win. It was rare to see Jaune so focused or Ren so animated, and it was honestly kind of cute to see them like this. She honestly had to suppress a giggle just how much they were getting into the game. Nora, on the sidelines, was trying to egg them on to a real fight, and she had to admit, it was a pleasant thought to imagine. Not as a fight, she knew Ren would flatten Jaune in hand-to-hand, but there was no harm in imagining the two of them, struggling against each other, shirtless…

She blushed as she ducked her eyes back to her book, mortified that someone might have somehow been able to read her face and discern what she was thinking. But now she was thinking about Jaune's lack of experience in unarmed combat, and maybe she could recommend they get some practice at that? Spend an evening with a lot of physical contact, teach him a few holds and feel his rough hands running-

If she was blushing before, she was certain that her face was now more crimson than her hair as she furiously read the same sentence on Grimm anatomy over and over again as she struggled to banish the thought. She was so focused on appearing to read, she didn't hear the door open or realize what was happening before a voice exploded right in front of her.

"JAUNE! WE'VE GOT-"

A startled Jaune nearly dropped his controller (which Ren was happy to take advantage of, scoring a ring out) and yelled, "Ruby, the door was locked! How'd you get in here?"

At the question, Ruby's attitude immediately switched from panicked authority to her usual, adorably shy persona. "I, um, might have, uh… stolenyourIDcardonceandmadeacopy?"

Jaune looked at her dumbfounded. "Wait, I thought _Blake_ stole my card? I know she definitely has a copy."

"Pretty sure Yang said something about stealing your keycard, too," Nora added.

"Jaune," Ren deadpanned, "we might want to have a talk about security protocols. At least we can take some comfort that _Weiss_ hasn't stolen your ID yet." He switched his focus back to the game. "Also, we're now 3-1, so…"

But hearing that name sharpened Ruby back into focus. "Sorry! But this is actually about Weiss and it's urgent!" She took a deep breath. "We're at Clear Blue Waters, Jaune!"

Whatever that was supposed to mean, Jaune caught up immediately. "Dust. Alright, we planned for this. I'll make myself scarce for a few days, you've got Yang and Blake on-"

"Blake's a no-go, they've been… rough recently," then she added, grimly, "Some words were said that shouldn't have been said."

"_Dust._ Okay, we still planned for this, CBW 2b, you help Blake-"

Ruby stamped her foot at that. "I'm not leaving my _best friend_-"

"Ruby, we talked about this, there's no way-"

"What- what are you _talking about?_" It was rare to see Ren so confused, but his experience was with Nora's absurdity and this was… she wasn't sure what it was. Something leadership related, since they had plans and code words. Something about Weiss, since Ruby said it was about her best friend, so… nope, she had nothing.

Fortunately, Ruby was able to make an explanation. "Err…" she started, "You know how Neptune is, uh, _Neptune?_ Well, Weiss found out, too, and so now Neptune is single and we're trying to, well, help her through the breakup?" That clicked. Neptune wasn't a _bad_ guy, at least not to Pyrrha's estimation, but he was certainly a shameless flirt and Weiss was not a tolerant girl. Or a patient one—probably was out at the first sign of a wandering eye. Pyrrha long suspected something like this was bound to happen.

Jaune apparently agreed. "We figured this was inevitable," he added, "So we prepped a fallback. It was supposed to be, I coordinate with you guys to stay out of her sight for a while, because, uh, you know," _Because she hates your guts_, Pyrrha automatically completed his sentence, "While Yang and Blake took her out drinking and dancing to get her mind off of him. Well, that _was _the plan…"

"And if Blake's out, _I'm in!_"

"Ruby! We both agreed, you're too obviously younger than 18 to go drinking, and you've got things to take care of tonight! Anyways," he gestured, "we already _had_ a second in mind."

Pyrrha expected him to say something to finish that statement, but then she realized that Ruby and Jaune were both looking straight at her. Even with Jaune pointing at her, it took a second to process it. "Wait…" she started, "You don't- but why _me?_"

Jaune and Ruby exchanged a look, then Ruby glanced back to her. "Weiss… looks up to you a lot." _Tell me something I don't know_, she thought, bitterly. Weiss's attention was non-stop. Every practice match, Weiss was almost as quick as Jaune to compliment her form, but she did so also after every test, every exercise, she practically fell over herself to compliment Pyrrha on how she _ate breakfast._ It could get… tiring.

"And, we… kind of need you." Jaune rubbed his arm, awkwardly, and Pyrrha realized that the way he was looking at her alone had already won over any of her objections. "Ruby's too young to not get stopped at a bar, Nora's too much chaos on top of Yang-"

Nora nodded, soberly. "Smart move. I am _not_ helpful for calm nights."

"-and none of our other friends are close enough to really help Weiss. She's not going to accept sympathy from just anyone."

Watching Jaune get serious was something Pyrrha usually enjoyed, where he let go of his self-doubts and showed everyone that he truly belonged here. But it was hard to enjoy it when it was all for Weiss's sake.

_Great, _she thought_, spend the night with an insufferable sycophant who I have to be nice to, and we'll be getting her drunk, too! Lovely._

Nora seemed to read the concern on her face. "Not that Pyrrha isn't a great person to hang out with, but… she and Weiss aren't exactly close."

"True, but… when it comes to rebuilding someone's self-esteem, well," he smiled, his eyes warm with recollection, "I know firsthand none of us are as good as Pyrrha."

Her heart fluttered at that, and she knew she would be carrying out the plan. Even if it wasn't a great experience, even if she had to bite her tongue, she'd do it. She wouldn't let Jaune down.

* * *

Pyrrha had been the first to arrive for the Bullhead to the city. As she waited for Yang and Weiss to join her, she had to admit: Jaune and Ruby had really planned this out. They had undated visit passes, already signed by Port, ready to go, fake IDs which asserted she was the 19 year old "Madeline Scarlet" (why they had a ready fake ID for her, she wasn't going to ask), and she'd been given the name and address of a club in Vale to take Weiss to. How Jaune and Ruby, of all people, knew what sort of club to take someone on the rebound, she had no idea, but she was impressed by how much they had pre-planned.

She hoped Weiss, if nothing else, appreciated the gesture. Pyrrha wasn't sure she'd be able to help a girl get over a breakup (she'd never even had a real date herself), but it was pretty impressive how much Ruby cared for her partner to go to these lengths. And… how much Jaune evidently cared for her, as well. Maybe that was a good thing, though? Maybe tonight would help Weiss realize that Jaune wasn't a bad guy, that he wasn't just interested in her fame or money? Yeah, wouldn't that be great, Weiss would realize that Jaune isn't what she thought he was, and then, hey, maybe they'd start dating! Wouldn't that fix everyone's problems and just make _everyone_ happy! She kicked the ground in annoyance. Where were they, anyways?

As she fished for her scroll out of her pockets, she heard the unmistakable boom of Yang Xiao Long's voice echoing towards her, and she scrambled to compose her usual cheerful and supportive face.

What she saw, though, immediately set a pang of guilt stabbing at her. Weiss looked _bad_. Oh, not physically: her hair was perfect, her eyes showed no redness from crying, and she'd done a good job physically composing herself, but Pyrrha didn't have to be a champion fighter to be able to read her body language and bearing. Weiss was a mess, the usually proud girl just silently and morosely following her teammate. Her footing was unsteady, her breathing… she'd been crying, recently, and Pyrrha was starting to wonder if Jaune and Ruby had the right idea of taking her out into public.

Silently, she chastised herself for her earlier annoyance at the pair. Weiss was clearly suffering, and she could think about was a boy! And she knew her help would be important. Weiss's instincts probably were to retreat, to hide her sadness, like it was a display of weakness, but Pyrrha knew that wasn't the healthy choice. She knew they were both from cutthroat worlds, where even the slightest sign of failure had to be concealed from everyone. They had been trained to toughen up, to not seek help. And it was always the worst advice. Rejecting the voice that told her not to rely on her friends was the hardest lesson she was still learning at Beacon, and she couldn't abandon Weiss to it.

So she put on a big smile and gave Weiss a hug. "Hey, Weiss. Heard you had a bad day," she said. She felt the girl tense at the physical contact, then soften, and grab her back—more clinging than hugging, but Pyrrha understood if that's what she needed, she'd be there for her. "Let's go do something fun, okay?"

"Glad you're in, P-Money," Yang said with an impish grin, "I _really_ want to see what you're like with your hair down!"

She smiled back, politely, while gently unhooking herself from Weiss's grip. "Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing the place Ruby recommended. Did you see the itinerary?"

"Oh, yeah, Ruby handed me that, but…" she smirked at Pyrrha, as they boarded the Bullhead, "Let's think twice before we take advice on drinking from my kid sister. I know a _way_ better place to get what we need. When it comes to drinking, well… just follow my lead on this one."

* * *

Pyrrha gasped as she looked around the ritzy floor of the club. Elegant looking people, clearly dressed to be seen, danced to the pounding music of a DJ whose ridiculous outfit she was certain she recognized from Nora's music collection. "Wow, Yang," she whistled, "how'd you manage to get us in here?"

"Me?" Yang chuckled, "You two got _me_ in here, not the other way around. Oh, I'm sure _these_," she grinned as she traced her hands down her curves, "didn't hurt, but a celebrity and the SDC heiress? Oh, you two were _not_ getting turned away at the door. How about you two grab us a booth and I'll get us something to drink?"

With that, she was gone, and now Pyrrha was stuck with the task of watching Weiss. It set off a note of panic in her—earlier, walking with Weiss or even on the Bullhead, she felt sympathetic, but she was allowed to feel that because she knew that Yang was the one actually responsible for her, and she was just going along for the ride. But now, even with a task as small as "get us a table" put her in the grip of panic. Why did people think she was good at handling emotionally fraught situations? She was good at academics and fighting, and people just assumed that meant those skills would transfer to anything!

But while her mind was lost in the grip of panic, her instincts had long been trained to work on autopilot. Sure, they'd been trained more for physical combat, but they knew how to operate when her mind wasn't giving directions. Stiffly, she led Weiss towards where booths were set up, hoping that she could avoid having to make small talk while waiting on Yang to return.

A large man, presumably a bouncer and wearing sunglasses in spite of the darkness of the club, nodded at both of them. "Ms. Schnee, Ms. Nikos," and stepped away from the table. Had Yang made reservations for… no, the answer was obvious. The perks of fame, she supposed, of being recognized as someone "important," and a twinge of discomfort seemed to settle in her gut. She _hated_ receiving special privileges from her notoriety, but, as Weiss, unphased, simply took her seat, she remembered who she was here for. Weiss was probably used to having a table ready for her, no matter where she went. Probably didn't even question that there would be a table for her here, too.

Yang returned with a tray of shot glasses, passing one out to each of them. It wouldn't be Pyrrha's first time with alcohol, she'd snuck a few drinks in her Sanctum days, but she'd never "gone drinking" before, certainly not to the level Yang had. And from the way Weiss sniffed at the glass, it was pretty clear that she'd never even had a drop of alcohol in her life before now. Maybe this was a-

"To fresh starts!" Yang proclaimed, proudly holding up her shot glass. Pyrrha responded with less enthusiasm, and Weiss with barely any, but they dutifully downed their shots together, hoping the rush of alcohol would help make things go more smoothly.

Yang downed her shot with a satisfied sigh, then gave the others a broad grin. "So, what're we feeling next, girls? We've got a tab open and I wholly expect each and every one of us to feel it in the morning!"

Weiss scoffed. "_You_ have money?"

"No, but I _do_ have your credit card!"

Weiss was about to protest, and Pyrrha realized that she needed to do something to avert the night already getting disrupted by a squabble. Suddenly, she had an idea. She pointed to a well-dressed man on the edge of the dance floor, wearing a hands-free scroll earpiece. "Hey, Weiss, you wouldn't happen to know that guy? With the earpiece?"

"I- I think I do," Weiss replied, "Isn't he some kind of, I dunno…"

"He's the Personal Assistant to _Mr. Aloysius Cardimon_, the _media executive,_" she mimed the overly self-important way he had namedropped his boss to her at the party where he'd met her. Judging from the way Weiss's face was lighting up in contempt, he'd done the same for her.

"How do you know him?" Yang asked, "He looks like a _douche._ Seriously, who wears a scroll headset to go clubbing—what, does he have to be ready to take a business call on the dance floor?"

"Oh, he is _so_ like that," Pyrrha smiled, "He must have mentioned who his boss was a dozen times in the, like, fifteen minutes I spent speaking to him. He's a _nightmare_."

"Yang, you have _no_ idea how bad this guy is," groaned Weiss, "He was at my sixteenth birthday party last year and basically spent the whole time either trying to network—including with me, the 16-year-old _birthday girl_—or trying to hit on my sister."

"_Him?_" Yang guffawed, "With_ your _sister?" Weiss just nodded, and Yang laughed even harder. "What, did she break his nose or something?"

"Did she even realize he was flirting?" Pyrrha snickered, "Or was it more," she emulated Winter's formal speech pattern, "Sister, this man has made a quite inexplicable request of me."

Weiss smiled, a real smile, Pyrrha realized, and leaned forward, conspiratorially, "She really did! She had _no idea_ what he was talking about!"

Pyrrha laughed, but then realized that Yang still had her eyes fixed on the man. "Tell you what, girls…" Oh no, Yang seemed to have ideas on her mind. Bad ideas. _Yang_ ideas. Pyrrha realized that the path of good sense would be to quash this with all- "What're you willing to bet I can't get him over here in 5 minutes?"

"Oh, no, Yang, you don't-"

"Fifteen lien!" Weiss shouted.

"Sold!" Yang stood up, with a big predatory smile on her face, "Easiest money I've ever made—watch and learn, girls, and see how Mama Yang gets her man!"

As she dashed off from the table, Pyrrha was once again struck with the realization that she was alone with Weiss. She didn't know what it was that made her so anxious about that—Weiss wasn't a bad person, and she was her friend, right? What was it that made her so worried?

She looked over to Weiss, who smiled, softly, then looked down and, in a quiet, halting voice, said, "Thanks for… coming out for me. I know it's not the best of circumstances, but… it's really nice to spend time with you."

Pyrrha smiled at her, hoping it seemed warm and genuine. "Any time, Weiss. It's what friends are for."

Then they both just stared down at the table for what felt like an eternity, Pyrrha desperately trying to think of something to say. Obviously, she shouldn't ask about Neptune or Jaune or, really, boys in general, but now that she knew there was a topic not to bring up, it was all her mind could think about. What else was there, ask how she did on Oobleck's last test?

Thankfully, Weiss broke the silence. "Pyrrha," she started, then paused, hesitantly, and swallowed. "I need to ask you-"

They practically jumped out of their seats as Yang interrupted their conversation, slamming two glasses on the table and, under her voice, whispering, "What'd I say, girls? What'd I say?"

Slightly behind her was the man with the earpiece, holding two more drinks and an unbearably smug leer. Oh, of course he had no idea what he was about to be in for.

"Girls, this is… I forgot his name, but _these_ are vodka sodas with cranberry—and they're about to be your best friend when it comes to getting real drunk without knowing anything about alcohol! Don't let Blake know if you've had them, cause they're apparently a total human girl stereotype." Pyrrha didn't doubt it. Blake could be… judgmental about some things, that was the polite way to phrase it.

Pyrrha sipped her drink and immediately coughed, "Yang!" she choked out, "How strong did they-" But she was interrupted in amazement as she saw Weiss downing hers immediately. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Uh, does Weiss have experience drinking?"

"Pretty sure not," Yang whispered back, sharing an uneasy glance, "I think it's more, she's got a lot of feelings and she does _not_ want to feel them right now."

An unstoppable wave of dread surged across Pyrrha as the man, oblivious to their conversation, chose this time to speak. "Whoa, little lady, you might want to pace yourself there," his voice oozing with smarmy paternalism. Probably the last thing any of them wanted to hear.

Weiss immediately confirmed that as she suddenly pointed at the man with the earpiece. "Okay!" she said, finger swaying, "You showed up, so you can leave now."

He laughed, "Uh, I just bought drinks, so maybe-"

"Hey, you might want to _tread lightly_," Yang suggested, gently, "She's had a bit of a day, so-"

"Aww, does she need a shoulder to cry on?" Of course the man had no idea what he was wandering into. He was the sort of man to buy drinks for teenagers easily a decade younger than him, confident that this was somehow likeable, or even impressive, and that he wouldn't come off as a skeeze. This was a lone gazelle on the Vacuan plains: proud, unaware, and completely surrounded by lionesses. Oblivious to his imminent doom.

Yang took up the task of warning him off. "Oh, honey, no. See, we're Huntresses in training. _Beacon_ Huntresses. I've seen her," she pointed to Weiss, "slice a Boarbatusk right open as a training exercise. Seriously! Must have weighed some eighteen hundred pounds, full charge, and she took it on by herself. Split it in _half_." The man paled at that, which surprised Pyrrha—it was only a lone Boarbatusk, not a- and then she remembered. With no aura and no training, fighting a Boarbatusk, especially in a melee, was well beyond what most would ever dare. But Weiss only grinned from the praise as she reached over the table and took the drink right out of the man's suddenly-boneless hand and downed it, not once breaking eye contact. Yang nodded, approvingly "She says you leave,_ you should probably leave_."

The man scowled. "If you knew who you were talking to, you'd-"

"Nobody cares!" Pyrrha yelled, laughing. It felt damn good to just… cut loose like that. Be rude. Shove somebody around! That… might have something to do with the vodka, but when Weiss extended her hand for a high five, Pyrrha immediately jumped to it.

"Take the L, man," Yang counseled, "Thanks for the drinks, but… we've kind of got a 'all men can get bent' vibe tonight."

He turned to storm out in a huff. "Whatever, psychos," which Pyrrha and Weiss immediately started mimicking in shrill falsettos, before breaking down into a fit of tipsy giggling.

Yang sat down and sipped her drink. "Well, holy shit," she smirked, sounding impressed, "Didn't think you two had it in you. Knew this was gonna be a fun night." Then she turned to holler at the bar for another round.

"Were we too rude?" Pyrrha asked, suddenly feeling the familiar clutch of anxiety around her heart. "I mean, he did buy the-"

Weiss cut her off. "No!" she shouted as she grabbed her arm, "Tonight, we're being selfish. We're telling people off, and we're starting fights! I'm in a _bad mood,_" Pyrrha realized that Weiss's grip on her arm was now starting to dig in as she swayed, unsteadily, in her seat. "And I need to, to- I need-" and then she burst into tears.

"It's okay, Weiss," she quickly said, placing her hand over Weiss's, which was now gripping hard enough to be painful.

"Don't worry: I will _absolutely_ have Pyrrha start a fight." Pyrrha shot Yang her best _shut up_ glare, which Yang, of course, ignored.

"I- I-" she hiccupped, holding back a sob, "he said I was special. He said he _loved _me!"

"Men are trash," Yang said soothingly, gently rubbing her shoulder, "And right now, Nora's almost certainly devising a plan to break his legs."

She buried her face in her arms, mercifully releasing Pyrrha's arm. "I don't wanna break his legs," she moaned, "I want- I just want-" her voice dissolved into sniffling.

They both moved closer, peppering her with reassurances and massaging her arms. Pyrrha and Yang shared a look over her head, silently coordinating their options. Or, at least, looking to the other for guidance. Pyrrha figured that Yang must have _some_ experience in this field, either as a big sister or as someone who'd gone through heartbreak before, but for as much as Yang boasted about her desirability, she never seemed to mention any actual relationships. Certainly Ruby had never had a serious relationship, much less a breakup. So, maybe they were equally lost?

She decided it would fall on her to take the initiative. "Weiss, it's okay. We're here for you, whatever you need, we're here for you." She hoped that those were the right words.

She looked up from the table, her blue eyes clouded with tears, and said, "…I wanna nother drink."

Then she put her face back into her hands. Yang smiled. "Way ahead of you," she said, as a server with a tray of fruity drinks seemed to appear right next to the table. "Strawberry Sunrises, my personal drink of choice."

Pyrrha eyed the drinks warily. Weiss already seemed fairly out of it, and another drink, so soon after her last… already three, she was thinking—would be probably too much too fast. Not to mention, Yang's drink of choice was probably a lot like the woman herself: a friendly looking exterior belying a swift punch to the gut.

"Alright champ," Yang said as Weiss reached for the drink, "How bout you sip this one, and we'll get you some water. Don't want you to get a hangover or anything!" Weiss didn't seem to care for the mothering, but didn't down her drink like the last two. "All of Weiss's drinks have been watered down, so it's all in her head," she whispered to Pyrrha, "but she's also, like, 80 pounds and I'm pretty sure she's never drank before, so there's that, too."

Well, that made some sense. Hopefully, the watering down was true, and Yang hadn't mixed up their drinks by accident. Or because she thought it'd be funny. Pyrrha felt a lot of sympathy for Weiss, but she really didn't want to have to hold her hair back in a bathroom stall later tonight.

"It's stupid, but…" Weiss sighed, "I really liked him. I _really_ liked him. He was cute 'n funny, and he always said the sweetest things to me." They both gave sympathetic nods. Weiss had been clearly very much into her beau before it all fell apart. "And I knew he was- *hic* he was _like that_," she added, darkly, "but I thought… I thought he'd be different, for me."

Pyrrha didn't really have words for this. She probably didn't want to hear them bash Neptune, nor did she think she wanted their reassurances that she was a wonderful, beautiful young woman, but other than that, she really didn't know what else to say. So she focused on giving her sympathetic shoulder pats and nodding, trying to convey some invisible bond of support.

Yang ventured an effort. "Do you want us to mess up that Vacuan chick he was with? We can absolutely make her regret making her move your man."

"No. S'not her fault. She never promised me anything. She never…" then she fell silent.

Weiss sipped her drink and a long quiet settled over the table. Even the pulsing bass of the dance floor seemed to quiet for them. Finally, she spoke up, glumly. "I don't wanna be miserable. But I don't… I don't know what to do," then looked to Pyrrha, helplessly.

"I don't… know a lot about boys, but…" she forced herself to confess, trying to buy time to think through what advice she might give. But what advice _could_ she give? All she really knew was fighting, but maybe… maybe there was something there? "I do know that when you're knocked down, sometimes, it helps to get back up and put yourself right back out there. Once you realize you're not made of glass, and that you're not as broken down as you first thought, you're gonna see that you're just as strong as we know you are!" She used all her media training to project self-confidence and strength as she gripped Weiss's hand. "So, let's get you back on that horse!"

She nodded slowly, Pyrrha's words evidently making it through, and then mumbled in a faraway voice, "…Jaune thinks I'm pretty." Pyrrha and Yang both looked to the other in alarm—Yang, because she realized it was a bad idea, Pyrrha, because she sure as _hell_ wasn't going to go _that_ far to help a girl out.

Fortunately, Yang made the move to quash it. "Yeah, let's not… go down that lane. I think what Pyrrha means isn't to try again with someone we know, or try to jump into a new relationship. Just… hit the dance floor tonight, flirt with somebody, feel like a million lien, and realize what an idiot Neptune was to let you go!" she cheered, then put her arm around Weiss's shoulder. "Whaddya say, if I found you someone who didn't look like a total douche, you think you'd be up for some fun?"

Weiss looked up at Yang's eager face, a smile tracing across her cheeks. "…Yeah," she replied, softly.

Pyrrha gave her a pat on the back. "That's the spirit! You'll feel better once you've gotten yourself back out there."

"I'm gonna go check out the scene, see if anyone's good enough for our one and only Ice Queen!"

"Woo! Go Yang!" she cheered her on as she left the table. But suddenly, she felt Weiss grab onto her sleeve. "Pyrrha…" she practically slurred as she pulled her closer, as if to take her in confidence or whisper some secret in her ears. She braced herself. Alcohol and good times had done a lot to help her opinion of the girl, but some drunken confession was not what she needed.

"Why don't you like me?"

That- she hadn't been expecting that! She practically jerked back, as if she'd been struck. "What- what are you talking about?" she laughed, nervously, "We're friends! I like you, Weiss."

"No, you don't," she replied darkly, "You _don't_. You like everyone else, and that's why you're here. You're here because _Ruby_ asked you to be here."

"I-" she tried to come up with some defense, some deflection. She was supposed to be here to make Weiss feel better, but from the sound of her voice, she was coming from a place of real hurt.

"I ask you to study with me or spar together, I ask you _all the time_, and you _always_ decline! I just thought…" she stumbled on her words, "But if _Jaune_ even asks you for _anything_ you always-"

Hearing that name, in her voice, with that tone, finally snapped something in her. "Do you ever think," she hissed, anger suddenly seething up a dark pit deep within her, "that it might be _hard_ to put on an act about _how_ _bad I feel for you_ when you've been handed everything I've ever wanted?"

Weiss recoiled at her bluntness, then balled up her fists. "I-" she staggered a little, overestimating her sobriety, "I may not be a tournament champion, but I _earned_ my spot at-"

"Oh for dust's sake!" Pyrrha threw up her arms, "How could you even- this has nothing to do with _Beacon!_"

Weiss just stared at that, blinking at her, dumbfounded. She started to speak a few times, but words failed to materialize. At that, Pyrrha realized what she had said, where she had put herself, and how impossible it'd be to extract herself from. Embarrassed, he buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, Weiss. I shouldn't have-"

"No." Weiss was unsteady in her balance, but resolute in her words. "You're telling me. You are telling me," she swayed, "why you don't like me. You are!"

"Weiss, I don't want to talk about-"

"Pyrrha!" she grabbed at Pyrrha, looking like a wounded deer. Her voice trembled as she pleaded, "I'm so- I'm so scared that I did something to make you mad at me. Please tell me what I did! I'm sorry!"

She looked so piteous, so desperate for reassurance, that Pyrrha realized that she had to give her the truth. "It's not your fault, but… every time you go off on Jaune, it's… it hurts to hear you just… you're just so mean to him!"

"Pyrrha, I'm so- if I knew you thought I was insulting you, I would _never_ have-"

"No! Brothers' sake Weiss, it's not _that!_" she groaned. How could she not read the writing on the wall? How come it seemed like _every idiot_ could tell how she felt, and yet the people who actually needed to know it could put two and two together?

"Then why!"

Any other time, she'd have just clammed up and told Weiss to drop it. Or maybe she'd have stormed off. But tonight, something stirred in her, either from alcohol-fueled boldness or just the exhaustion of having to keep a lid on her feelings for so long—or maybe she really just did want to throw it in Weiss's face—she didn't know. Tonight, she lashed out, "Because I like Jaune! Okay! I _like_ him!"

Weiss stared at her, slowly coming to comprehension of what she'd just heard. She might as well have shot her from the look on her face. "No, that's… not true. You can't…"

"It is and I can!" she nearly spat.

"It doesn't make any sense! He's a-"

How was she not getting it? Pyrrha slammed her fists on the table. "I'm! In love! With Jaune! ARC!"

"Wow."

Of course, now Yang reappeared. Of course. Thankfully, with no one in tow, but it was cold comfort.

"Boy, I leave you guys for five minutes," she joked as she took her seat, "and you two finally have it out. Nora bet me you wouldn't-"

"Yang!" Weiss practically shrieked, tears welling in her eyes, "This _isn't_ the _time!_"

She leaned back at that, looking from Weiss to Pyrrha and back again. She was clearly better at holding her alcohol than either of them, but she was still tipsy, and weighing her options of how to best manage two drunk, emotional girls. Finally, she made up her mind. "No. It is." She sighed and leaned herself over the table. "We're here to get drunk and spill feelings and cry it out until we're feeling better. All of us. Now," she cracked her knuckles, "are we going to cry it out voluntarily, or am I gonna have to put someone in a headlock?"

Pyrrha and Weiss exchanged uneasy glances. Yang's threat was not a metaphor, they'd well learned that by now. But did she really want to open up like this to Weiss and Yang? She wasn't as close to either of them as she was to Nora, but… when would she get another chance to just say this out loud?

She took a deep breath, then took the plunge. "I've… liked him for a long time. Since initiation, really. He's… kind and he's sweet and he cares _so much_ for all of us. And... he's never treated me like I'm anything other than an ordinary girl—not some celebrity or champion or easy ticket to victory! Like I'm _normal!_"

"I- I didn't know…"

"It's not your fault."

"No, it's- Pyrrha, _I've_ always wanted that too! I've wanted that so badly, and I always thought- I thought, because you're famous, _you_ would understand what my life was like, and, and," the tears were flowing freely now, "it's why I thought we could be friends!"

"Oh, Weiss!" she pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry!" she cried, feeling Weiss bury her face in her shoulder, wet tearstains dotting her neck.

"Wait… so the whole time…" Weiss looked up from her shoulder with dawning realization, "When he was writing me songs, you were-"

Now it was her turn to bury her face in her arms. "That wasn't fun," she groaned, "But we're not here to talk about my love life, we're here to-"

"No."

She glanced up. Weiss's tone was so commanding, she felt as though it had somehow sobered her up. It certainly wasn't something she could look away from.

"You didn't—I've hurt you, Pyrrha," she raised a hand to block Pyrrha's protest, "No, I have. I didn't mean to, but I know that I've… put you through a lot of hurt. And Jaune did too," she added, "But… even with that, you came here, tonight, just to help me out. Pyrrha… I want to help you."

Either it was the tears in Weiss's eyes, or the sincerity in her voice, or the alcohol in her own veins that made Pyrrha start weeping, but once she did, she quickly moved immediately to messy crying, throwing her arms around the also-crying Weiss as they both repeatedly said how much they loved each other. When she finally looked up from her sister-in-arms' shoulder, she saw Yang snapping pictures with her scroll and having a good laugh. Well, whatever. If the price of this moment was Yang blackmailing her, she'd manage.

Still, she had to get a jab in. "So Yang, do you have any boys you need to cry over?"

Yang just chuckled at that. "You didn't know? I've been madly in love with Ren for months, but I'm simply far too afraid of Nora to make my move!" she said with mock sweetness.

"We'll break _her_ legs!" Weiss shouted, slumping backwards into her seat. Pyrrha was now fairly certain that her drinks had not been watered down. The opposite, if her breath had been anything to go by. "Nobody messes with my friends!"

"Yeah!" Pyrrha cheered, realizing another drink had somehow appeared in front of her. Yang's handiwork, she figured. "Nobody messes with us!"

She felt Weiss's hand on her arm. "You're too… good for him, Pyrrha," she said, "but if you've made up your mind… you've got to tell him. He won't turn you down. S'what you deserve."

All she could do to answer that was blush as Yang teased the both of them. And for the rest of the evening, they drank and laughed and shared embarrassing stories. Weiss told them about playing pranks on her father with her sister. Yang seemed to have an endless collection of adorable Ruby stories. And she, hesitant at first, but gaining confidence from her sisters-in-arms encouragement, told them all about how she was so nervous at her first regional championship, that she got lost in the catacombs under the stadium.

It was, in all, a good night. No fights were had, though the three of them had sized up who the best fighters in the place might be, and none of them completely lost their composure, and, generally, they had fun drinking, dancing, and just escaping from their everyday responsibilities as Huntresses. The night could have gone on forever, for all Pyrrha cared, but... between the drinking and the emotional exhaustion, she and Weiss found themselves tiring and figured it was time to call it a night.

* * *

It was late when they got back, Yang and Pyrrha helping Weiss from the Bullhead dock to the dorms. Pyrrha figured Weiss would likely have a hell of a hangover tomorrow, but at least she probably wouldn't remember that she spent most of the flight back amorously stroking Pyrrha's arm and telling her how nice she was. But then she remembered that Yang had been with them the whole time. _Well_, she thought, as she wished the both of them a good night, _worst case scenario, Yang just teases us for a while._

She unlocked the door quietly, hoping not to wake anyone, but even as late as it was, the JNPR dorm was still active, as three pairs of eyes immediately met her as she entered the room. She knew they were all waiting for her to give them the gossip, but she was too tired, also, intoxicated, to really give a good answer. She politely waved them off, trying not to notice their obvious disappointment, as she stumbled back to her bed.

She noticed there was a crude illustration of what she had to assume was Neptune, judging from the blue hair, with an arrow labeled "break here" pointing at his legs, hanging over Nora's desk. So, Yang wasn't joking after all, she mused. Why it needed a diagram, she wasn't sure, but she was certain her teammate's presentation had been entertaining.

As she flopped down on the bed, she felt a shadow cross over her as Jaune approached. She gave him a happy, drunken wave, and he smiled, which set her heart into a trill. "Hey Pyr. Thanks for doing that—I knew you'd be the best to help her out."

She stared at him, dumbly. "Why?"

"Because you help everyone. Because… you're probably the most giving person I've ever met. You don't give up on anybody, and," he blushed a little, "I know that firsthand."

"I don't… I don't know if I was that, tonight."

Jaune smiled at her, his warm, personal, secret smile she rarely ever saw and always took her breath away. "That's not what Yang's been saying."

"She's been…?"

"Yeah, her later texts got… a little weird at the end, but-"

She practically shot over to him. "What did she say!" An alarmed Jaune attempted to stumble through an answer, but Pyrrha had grabbed his arms, tiredness forgotten. "Jaune, What. Did. She. Say?"

"She just got really drunk and sent some texts, it's nothing," he laughed it off, holding up his scroll for Pyrrha to see.

They'd been corresponding the whole time, but her eyes were completely fixed to the last two texts: "when pmmney gets back KSIS HER :P :P ::P" and "iif you don'tkisss her wess is gosna make her move." Wait, how drunk did Yang get? But then, she looked to Jaune with mounting horror, as she realized what he'd been told. It was, of course, a look which he immediately misread.

"Oh! No, I'm not going to, uh," a blush spread across his face as his voice dropped, "kiss you or anything, just thought that, um, Yang's drunk texts were funny." He gave a weak laugh as Pyrrha practically dropped herself back onto her bed. Yeah, of course, _nobody_ wanted Jaune to kiss her. Of course not. That's just…

No.

She wasn't going to do that. She wasn't going to hold back. Not after tonight.

For the second time tonight, instinct kicked in as she lunged forward, footing unsteady, but she was well practiced at opening strikes. Her opponent was surprised as she seized the initiative. He wasn't expecting a sneak attack and he was caught flat-footed as she pulled him into a grab, and then… she kissed him right on the lips.

She was, admittedly, less experienced with what exactly to do with her lips, but it felt _wonderful_, and as she broke the kiss, she looked, pleading, into his stunned eyes.

"Nora, Ren." He said, slowly, deliberately. "Would you mind… giving us the room?" And then he broke into a smile so radiant, Pyrrha felt her legs give out, leaning wholly on Jaune for support. "Just message Ruby, 'Red Skies At Night.' She'll, uh, she'll know what it means."

Nora's eyes almost popped out of her head, but before she could say anything, Ren had dragged her out of the room, with only a quick thumbs up before he was gone.

"Ruby… um, made me make that plan. I didn't, um, didn't think-"

She kissed him again. Planning was good, but sometimes, she just had to improvise.


End file.
